Apparatus and method for installing carpet

ABSTRACT

An apparatus to install carpet is configured to prevent carpet, which includes a carpet backing attached to a nap, on a floor from moving away from a wall. The apparatus includes a tackless strip with a first side and a second side. An adhesive is affixed to the first side. Pins are driven from the second side through the first side extending from the adhesive on the first side. The carpet can be placed upon the apparatus such that the pins pierce the carpet backing while the adhesive adheres to the carpet backing holding the carpet in place even when furniture is moved across the nap.

RELATED APPLICATION

This application claims priority to provisional patent application U.S. Ser. No. 61/733,361 filed on Dec. 4, 2012, the entire contents of which is herein incorporated by reference.

BACKGROUND

The embodiments herein relate generally to attachment to a fabric type floor covering, i.e., carpeting, especially to maintain the carpeting in a flattened condition or to minimize wrinkling problems.

In the early clays of wall to wall installations, the carpet was trimmed about an inch long, folded over, then tacked to the wood floors. This was effective but the tacks pulled the carpet fibers down, making the edges rough.

Later a small tack board was installed that held the carpet elevated to the pad level and the carpet could be trimmed to the wall after it was tacked down. This improved the appearance significantly, but not completely.

Tackless strip was invented to hold the carpet completely from underneath; eliminating the need for tacks on the surface. This system worked many years while carpet was still being made using natural jute backings

Over time, natural backing systems were changed to synthetic backings that were significantly stiffer and had less elasticity. This created more horizontal movement as the synthetic systems were stiffer and less pliable. Dimensional stability was increased and, if not properly stretched, the carpet would lift off the tackless; creating a lot of consumer complaints for wrinkling

Today there are several styles of backing systems that are difficult to attach to the traditional tackless, and there are more backings that lift too easily off the strip.

Also, construction practices have changed over the years. For most of the last 80 years, the baseboards have been placed on the floor. Now the general practice is to elevate the base boards. With the original tackless, the carpet was tucked to the wall creating a small area of carpet that was “locked in”; it could not move laterally because the pins on the tackless kept the carpet from pulling back, while the pressure from the wall kept it from moving out. This effectively locked the carpet in place on the tackless.

Elevated baseboards have no such back pressure and the carpet can move outward under the baseboard allowing it to lift off the tackless creating wrinkles, and subsequent complaints. It would only have to move 2 or 3 millimeters to lift off the tackless.

Any movement of the carpet through moving furniture, rolling traffic, or even normal foot traffic can cause the carpet to lift from the tackless causing wrinkles

The requirement of holding the carpet in place from underneath has not changed. Installers facing difficulty at first were stapling the carpet down because they knew it would not hold. This then brought back unacceptable surface variances around the walls, as the staples pulled the nap down. Embodiments of the disclosed invention solves this problem.

SUMMARY

An apparatus to install carpet is configured to prevent carpet, which includes a carpet backing attached to a nap, on a floor from moving away from a wall. The apparatus includes a tackless strip with a first side and a second side. An adhesive is affixed to the first side. Pins are driven from the second side through the first side extending from the adhesive on the first side. The carpet can be placed upon the apparatus such that the pins pierce the carpet backing while the adhesive adheres to the carpet backing holding the carpet in place even when furniture is moved across the nap.

In some embodiments, the pins are angled toward the wall to further increase friction which holds the carpet in place. A barb can attached to each pin. Each barb is slightly concave and possess a notch connection between the barb and the pin. The notch connection acts as a snare to prevent the carpet backing from pulling away from the wall. Each pin is no more than one half inch away from another pin.

A method of installing a carpet prevents the carpet from moving away from a wall. The method includes the following steps not necessarily in order: first is affixing a double sided adhesive layer to a first side of a tackless strip. Next is driving a plurality of pins though the tackless strip. After that is nailing the tackless strip to the floor proximate the wall. Then is laying a carpet pad onto the floor. Following that is laying the carpet on top of the double sided adhesive layer. Then comes piercing the nap with the plurality of pins in order to hold the carpet in place.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

The detailed description of some embodiments of the invention is made below with reference to the accompanying figures, wherein like numerals represent corresponding parts of the figures.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the invention in place without the carpet installed.

FIG. 2 is a side elevation view of the invention in place with the carpet installed.

FIG. 3 is a detail elevation view indicated by line 3-3 of FIG. 2.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF CERTAIN EMBODIMENTS

By way of example, and referring to FIG. 1 and FIG. 2, a user desires to place carpet 26 on top of floor 18. However, the room including floor 18 also comprises wall 22 which is attached to baseboard 24. This creates a challenge for attaching carpet 26 near baseboard 24 because moving the carpet 26 from baseboard 24, for instance by moving furniture, can cause carpet 26 to bunch.

Turning to this difficulty in more detail, tackless strip 12 traditionally only had smooth angled pins 14 and was laid between carpet pad 20 and about one half inch from wall 22. Carpet backing 30 attached to nap 28 would be hooked onto pins 14. However, as noted above, this was ineffective.

Embodiments of improved tackless strip 12 teach driving pins 16 through the bottom of body 12 and through adhesive 14 extending through the top of adhesive 14. Each pin 16 should be angled toward wall 22, this creates the greatest amount of static friction to prevent carpet backing 30 from sliding away from wall 22.

In some embodiments, each pin 16 further comprises a barb 17. Barb 17 is a sharpened point onto pin 16 which is slightly concave and possess a notch connection between the barb and pin 16. The notch connection acts as a snare to prevent carpet backing 30 from pulling away from wall 22.

In some embodiments, each pin 16 is no more than one half inch away from any other pin 16. The close arrangement of pins 16 amplifies a rigid effect that prevents carpet backing 30 from moving. In some embodiments, the close arrangement can be in rows and columns, and in other arrangements pins 16 are inserted randomly without a pattern. Pins 16 can be made from metal preferably steel.

A method for installing carpet 26 involves the following steps, which are not necessarily in order. First is affixing a double sided adhesive layer 14 to a first side of a tackless strip. After this, driving a plurality of pins 16 though the tackless strip. Next is nailing the tackless strip to floor 18 proximate wall 22. Following that, laying carpet pad 20 onto floor 18. After that, laying carpet 26 comprising carpet backing 30 mechanically coupled to nap 28, on top of adhesive layer 14. Finally, there is piercing nap 28 with the plurality of pins 16 in order to hold carpet 26 in place.

These changes to tackless strips 12 provide solutions for the problems in the prior art and meet requirement of holding carpet 26 from underneath. Adhesive 14 will bond the backing of carpet 26 to a wood base on tackless strip 12 that stops lateral movement under the raised base boards, and barbs 17 on pins 16 of tackless strip 12 will provide redundancy, not allowing carpet 26 to lift too easily from tackless strip 12 and should work well with the new generations of carpet backings The changes will not prevent repairs or cause overly difficult removal of the carpet.

Persons of ordinary skill in the art may appreciate that numerous design configurations may be possible to enjoy the functional benefits of the inventive systems. Thus, given the wide variety of configurations and arrangements of embodiments of the present invention the scope of the invention is reflected by the breadth of the claims below rather than narrowed by the embodiments described above. 

What is claimed is:
 1. An apparatus to install carpet, configured to prevent carpet comprising a carpet backing attached to a nap on a floor from moving away from a wall, the apparatus comprising a tackless strip with a first side and a second side; an adhesive affixed to the first side; pins driven from the second side through the first side extending from the adhesive on the first side; wherein the carpet can be placed upon the apparatus such that the pins pierce the carpet backing while the adhesive adheres to the carpet backing holding the carpet in place even when furniture is moved across the nap.
 2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the pins are angled toward the wall to further increase friction which holds the carpet in place.
 3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the pins are angled toward the wall to further increase friction which holds the carpet in place; and a barb is attached to each pin; wherein each barb is slightly concave and possess a notch connection between the barb and the pin; wherein the notch connection acts as a snare to prevent the carpet backing from pulling away from the wall.
 4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the pins are angled toward the wall to further increase friction which holds the carpet in place; a barb is attached to each pin; wherein each barb is slightly concave and possess a notch connection between the barb and the pin; wherein the notch connection acts as a snare to prevent the carpet backing from pulling away from the wall; and each pin is no more than one half inch away from another pin.
 5. A method of installing a carpet prevents the carpet comprising a carpet backing attached to a nap on a floor from moving away from a wall, the method comprising: affixing a double sided adhesive layer to a first side of a tackless strip; driving a plurality of pins though the tackless strip; nailing the tackless strip to the floor proximate the wall; laying a carpet pad onto the floor; laying the carpet on top of the double sided adhesive layer; and piercing the nap with the plurality of pins in order to hold the carpet in place.
 6. The method of claim 5, wherein the plurality of pins is angled toward the wall to further increase friction which holds the carpet in place.
 7. The method of claim 5, further comprising attaching a barb to each pin; wherein each barb is slightly concave and possess a notch connection between the barb and the pin; wherein the notch connection acts as a snare to prevent the carpet backing from pulling away from the wall.
 8. The method of claim 5, further comprising arranging each pin no more than one half inch away from another pin. 